How to Make a Lady
by Temporal-Parody-Box
Summary: Maka knew so little about Soul when she first moved in. It isn't too long until she's dragged in the mess of creating a fake relationship as Soul's forced to attended his brothers wedding. So, how long does it take an actor to get into character? Basic romantic comedy, SoMa AU; little OOC. More information inside.
1. Moving In

_**How to Make a Lady**_

Chapter One:_ Moving In_

**Warnings:**

_There is an OC. I needed a bride for Wes. Don't worry, she's really not important, and it is still SoMa._

_Mentions of TsuStar, KidChrona. Not too much though._

_Technically Mr. & Mrs. Evans are OC's too, but... can't help that. As are... some random popping up family members. And Kami's personality is also different because... we really know very little except she's basically awesome._

_Sexual themes, may or may not go into detail, I don't know if I'm comfortable posting that stuff on my fanfiction, but since I will be taking everything off my LiveJournal, I might as well put the whole thing. Tell me what you think in the reviews, especially if you original read this on my LJ._

_T until then; for the swearing and what not._

_Not posting it all at once. I'm trying to edit/re-write some parts._

_I also do not own the picture; and Tumblr did not source it. Please tell me if you find its source._

* * *

Maka would have considered herself lucky. When she moved away from her hometown in Nevada to the crowded city in the Pacific state, she thought it would be impossible to find an easy place to live. Her first month had been spent using a majority of her money on a hotel room and a storage unit to keep her things safe. It hadn't been until she was out trying to fulfill "Help Wanted" and "Now Hiring" signs did she find the poster.

**_Roommate wanted!_**

**_4242 Main Street_**

**_Apartment 564_**

**_Interviews Wed-Fri_**

**_Please Call!_**

There wasn't a whole lot of information, but when she took one of the pull-off strips from the bottom with the number, she decided then that it had to be better than any type of hotel room with outrageous prices, ants and cockroaches included.

So when she got home with a promised interview dated next week, she pulled the crinkled paper from her jacket pocket and called the number. Maka felt more at ease when a woman answered; after some argument with someone else in the background, she got a time to come in the following day.

* * *

Building 4242 Main Street; Apartment 564. The small moving van outside had men shuffling to pick up the boxes inside, most of the items on the street below were littered as if the person moving were in that much of a hurry to get out of there. The blonde knocked lightly as she waited in the hall, easily hearing a lot of movement on the other side of the door. The interview would be good for her; she had no idea how these things really worked, but she figured she'd get a good impression from the woman as well as leave a good one on her.

"Can you at least let the chick in before you go?" Wait, that was a man's voice, wasn't it? Maka fidgeted, realizing that there might already be someone living there too. What if she wasn't the only roommate that was needed? Or the person living there already had a boyfriend. Well, it wouldn't be bad, but it could get annoying to have a guy just coming and going...

"Okay okay, keep your pants on mister~ Couldn't you help me get the last boxes out?"

"A box of clothes shouldn't be so heavy that you can't do it yourself."

With an annoyed cry at the other occupant, the door opened. Maka couldn't help but turn red in embarrassment at the woman's outfit. Her hair was purple and curled neatly to frame her face, and the shirt would have been less revealing had it just been a bikini top. Maka doubted she'd be able to pick up that box that she'd been talking about; if she bent over that skirt wouldn't be covering much of her rear end.

"Maka, right?" She greeted cheerfully, door opening fully to invite her in.

"Uh, right." The girl nodded, following awkwardly as she stepped in. The apartment certainly was... something else. The furniture didn't match, and the walls were painted a strange pale yellow. She could see into the kitchen past the living room arch, where someone was fighting with scattered papers to try and make things look decent. It was obvious someone was moving out though. There were boxes stacked in the living room, and a few small suitcases thrown onto the bright red couch. The various papers on the floor were foreign to her, the type small while some of the words were highlighted and circled.

"Soul, the next persons here~!"

"Please come in!" The voice called out from the kitchen, no doubt at all that it was a man's voice. She'd felt more relaxed at the thought of rooming with another woman, but... this couldn't be that bad...

Maka carefully moved around the fallen stacks of paper, flashing a smile to Blair as the woman grabbed a box and shoved it in a movers hand, just as he reached the door behind her. Green eyes widened a bit as she saw the person who was actually doing the questioning.

He didn't look bad, it was just a surprise to actually see someone with red eyes and white hair. He looked like he'd been rushed all morning, hair completely askew; some pulled back out of his peripheral with a black headband. The orange shirt looked wrinkled under the black jacket, and the cuffs around his shoes had mud flecks around them like he'd jumped in a puddle. Maybe he was just having an off day...

"Hey." He greeted with a lazy smile, amber eyes looking up to watch the movers grab a few more boxes. "Please be careful of the papers! Sorry about the mess."

"It's alright." She tried to wave it off, stay friendly. It may be with a guy, but she needed a room somewhere. She couldn't afford staying at the hotel much longer.

"Alright, so just... tell me about yourself?" He didn't seem to know what he was doing. "Blair said your name's Maka?"

"Yes, Maka Albarn. I'm from Crystal Bay, Nevada."

"Nevada? What're you doing all the way out here?"

"I just... had to get away from it all." She didn't feel like spilling her family to this guy; first impression was everything and she didn't want to give off the idea she was crazy or something.

"Yeah, California's not bad." He snickered. "You legal?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, that didn't come out right? Look, I just need some simple stuff. Name, age, what you're doing for work, that kinda jazz."

"Oh..." She shifted again, hands moving to her jacket pocket. "I'm twenty-two, and I'm going to be working down at the bookstore on Eighth... I hope. Look, I kind of just moved to the city, so I'm still trying to get things together..."

"Not bad." That was surprising. "Can you cook? Clean?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Great. You can move in as soon as possible." He flashed her a toothy grin, and she nearly had a heart attack. She was surprised; they were sharp as knives; he looked like a shark or an alligator! "My name's Soul."

The white haired moved to leave the table, heading towards Blair who seemed to have trouble with re-closing a bursting box full of clothes.

"W-Wait! That's it?" She stood quickly, nearly knocking the chair over when he turned back to her. "What about rent, or bills, or something?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I won't be making much-"

"No, really. Don't worry about it." Soul laughed. "I'm covering it."

It didn't make sense. Why did he need a roommate if he was able to pay for everything? Why get a place with two rooms? She wanted to ask, but he disappeared into the hall where the bedrooms were, calling out to Blair to give her key to Maka before she left. The purple haired woman giggled as she made her way to the gaping blonde, putting her arm around her.

"You look so confused, it's cute!" She squealed, pulling her close and nearly smothering the girl in her chest. The smaller girl quickly fought back, pulling away with a gasp. "That's what I liked best about living with Soul; he completely pays for everything! I work as a hostess, so I offered a lot to pay for rent. Instead I wound up saving, and now I can get my own place~"

"I just... I don't get it. I'm really confused; I didn't think it would be this easy..."

"Oh, well normally it wouldn't be. I used to room with two other girls from work and it was Hell. Between rent, and scheduling, and just- gah!" Blair shook her head. "Soul won't say it, but I'll let you in on a little secret~!" Her bright yellow eyes glanced towards the hallway, to make sure he wasn't lingering. "Soul hates living alone. I guess he was doing it for awhile before I moved in, and he was to-die-for clingy for a little while before he started acting all cool. That and he's totally useless; he can't really cook or clean for himself."

"So he needs a live-in maid?" Maka grumbled, not liking the thought.

"No way! Don't think of it like that. I think this is really the only way he can make friends. He's socially awkward sometimes." The purple haired woman giggled again, putting her key in Maka's hands. "Trust me, it's totally worth it he's a good guy!"

* * *

So she'd taken the deal. Maka was working at the bookstore in the mall down on Eighth, and after a few weeks of living in the new apartment she made a cooking schedule with Soul. She was cooking most of the days, but after he had wound up burning curry and nearly setting the house on fire she didn't mind. The cleaning part was the hardest; Soul really was kind of messy on a daily basis, so she was trying hard to get him to pick up after himself. It took nearly the first month and a half to get him into the habit of taking his shoes off before he entered the house.

What did surprise her was Blair and Soul had been right; so far she had yet to be asked to put in any money for any of the bills. She didn't know how he was paying for it all, and once or twice she'd gone searching for drugs or something in the house in fear he was getting it illegally. All she ever found was some paperwork and learned he was some actual huge underground "electronic musician" - or you know, a DJ... It explain his look and lifestyle, the cocky and 'cool' attitude, but it couldn't be earning enough for his equipment; housing, food, clothes, and the loud motorcycle... Could it?

She never heard anything about family. After the third month, he'd already overheard a lot of conversations over the phone she'd had with her father, and she'd gotten one of the rare postcards from her mother. He guessed correctly about her crazy home life; divorced parents, over-protective (and cheating) father and a traveling-the-world-type mother. When she asked about his in return, he shrugged and simply said he'd left home for a reason. It took another two weeks to find out his full name after some more snooping. Legally, it was Soul Eater. He'd changed it... That much she could tell.

So, Soul Eater was one giant puzzle to her that she was dying to figure out. Blair visited often actually, and when questioned each time, Maka was no closer to figuring the white haired out.

Within four months of living there she was quick to meet his friends; who had come calling for him and eventually dragged Maka out for some basketball games, or something to drink. It didn't take long for them to become close, though her first impressions had terrified her. Which was fine, as the friends she had made herself started merging and they became what could be called the strangest family in the building.

Black Star was loud mouthed and egotistical. Soul's best friend since forever as far as she could tell. Also, the one Soul relied on when setting up his equipment and collaborating with. Tsubaki, Black Star's girlfriend; sweet, kind, and from the various rope burns kind of a freak. Maka had no idea what she did for work, but she gotten afraid to ask when she'd overheard a conversation about the wrong rabbit model being shipped in. In all fairness she may have backed out of that conversation too quickly, but she doubted it. They lived two floors down, though on the worst nights Maka could still hear music in her room.

Then there was Kid, a slightly neurotic guy who pretty much owned the mall thanks to his investments, and it seemed like he had plans to monopolize a lot of real estate in the area. Soul claimed that the wealthy brat would soon own the city; though Maka wasn't about to doubt the claim. He was a nice guy who actually came into the mall often, though he didn't stay long since he'd bought the building only a few years ago and it's construction wasn't to his standards of sanity. In the end, that just meant it wasn't symmetrical. She had learned a lot about Kid from the esthetician Liz Thompson. She worked across the plaza with her sister. The two of them had known Kid since he bought the place and granted them their salon.

It took six months for Soul and Maka's lives to intertwine. Six months for her to realize that the slightly panicky guy she met the first day wasn't really how he was. He was sloppy, messy, and more relaxed than she liked. He cussed a lot, and he and Black Star really were some of the most dirtiest people she'd had the pleasure of being in the same room with. He talked big of himself though he was rather harmless; not counting the few times she'd gotten to ride on the back of his bike, he was a speed demon who drove rather recklessly. He often made obscene comments when she was on the phone with her dad; all but basically blurting out he was 'banging' her when they were hardly in what could be considered 'cuddling' near each other. He didn't eat well if she was away for the weekend visiting family, and he constantly poked fun at her body type; small tits, fat ankles. Yet, she put up with him because she was sure he wasn't really all bad. And then it all suddenly took a drastic turn. It was funny though... Maka always thought she'd have to do a lot of snooping to learn anything about Soul, that it would be escalated event after escalated event. Sadly, it all started out pretty normal.

* * *

Again, the day was normal. Like every other Friday, Maka woke up earlier than usual, left money on the table for Soul to go out and eat if he decided that the alternative of making food was too much of a pain for him. She knew that the money would be there still when she got home, though there wouldn't be any dirty dishes. Maka ran out the building and made her way to Eighth with hardly any problems, and into the large mall-attached Barnes & Nobles through the actual front entrance. After that, came about an hour of re-arranging and tidying up. That those who had closed, seemed to have forgotten about and tried to hold a conversation with Chrona. It was hard but she always tried; the girl was quiet, if not completely clinically GAD. There wasn't much to talk about, so Maka often rambled. Chrona never objected or stopped her, so the blonde liked to think it wasn't annoying. Dealing with the normal customers, a few loud ones who felt the need to bring small children. Lunch break try and get Chrona along to eat with Liz and Patti, get declined, join the other two at the food court. Return to work, wish her co-workers a good weekend. Leave, get dropped off at 4242 Main Street by Liz with a promise of plans for the following night. Go upstairs, greet the roommate/night owl who was going through mail at the table, start on something simple to eat. A whole day of absolute normalcy.

"Did you even get up at all while I was gone?" She glanced over her shoulder at the man, frowning slightly to realize he was still in just his boxers and a thrown-on shirt. Six months was a long time, but he'd been comfortable walking around the house like that since day two.

"I showered this morning..." He frowned.

"And then went back to bed?"

"Then I made eggs. _Then_ I went back to bed." He grinned, as if it was an amazing feat. "Hey, postcard." Soul held the card up, handing it over to the blonde. "Where's it from now?"

"She's in Seychelles." The green eyes brightened, quickly taking in the words scrawled across the back.

"Better put it in the Book then." She'd shown him the book once; the large photo album that specifically held the postcards her mother sent. It had been hard to tell Kami about her new address, but she'd finally gotten it down and the book was now a quarter of the way full. Nodding mostly to herself; Maka hurried down the hall to slip it in carefully, as Soul continued going through the mail.

"Oh_ shit_!" She hadn't even gotten to her door when Maka turned, swiftly making it back to the kitchen in fear something was on fire again.

"What is it, what?" He was just reading something, eyes fixated in disbelief. "... Is it the rent? Did they boost it up?"

"If only!" Soul tossed the papers aside, hand running through his hair. She'd seen him stressed out once since the day he let her move in. Black Star had misplaced one of his new pieces he'd been working on, and he nearly tore the apartment apart just to find it in Tsubaki's purse nearly an hour later. "Fuck! After all this time!"

"Whoa, hey take it easy." He kicked the chair over, wincing in his own surprise at the loud noise it made before starting to pace. "Soul, what is it?" Maka moved to retrieve the envelopes contents, sure it had to be some kind of calculating error if the rent was driving him this crazy.

_Soul,_

_Do you remember when I told you I had gotten engaged? I know the invitation made things pretty clear, but we're getting married. All of the information is there, but I know it wouldn't be right to try and fix things with a letter. It would really mean alot to me if you came out of hiding long enough to join me on my wedding day. Mom and dad promised not to bring anything up, so don't try and use them as an excuse._

Maka stopped; realizing that the rest of the letter was probably really personal, bottle green eyes turned to the pacing panic attack. "Your brothers getting married?"

"It's not even that! How the hell did he get my address?!" That's what he was worried about? "Why would I want to go; I don't even know this chick anyway! Don't look at me like that, you have no idea how fucked up this is! This is the exact kind of excuse my parents are going to use to their advantage! There's no way I'm going!"

Maka frowned, not grasping the entire situation. Though that wasn't entirely her fault, Soul wasn't exactly being forthcoming about his past. She couldn't help but look at the other papers she had picked up.

_Because you have shared in our lives your love, we Fleur Lacelle and Wes Evans together with our parents invite you to share in a day of happiness when we exchange our vows._

_Friday the first of September, two thousand twelve at two o'clock in the afternoon._

_20 Chapel St. Brookline, MA 02446_

_We look forward to celebrating with you!_

_Kindly respond by July 31, 2012._

_We have reserved two seats in your honor._

"... I don't understand." She frowned; putting the papers on the table, not noticing Soul's constant rambling. "You're going to go, aren't you?"

"As if I have a choice! If I don't, they're going to come out here and drag me by my feet, kicking and screaming!" He growled, plopping on the couch. "I'll have to call around for all types of favors! I'll probably have to pay Tsubaki off-"

"What do you mean?"

Amber eyed looked up, glaring at the spot the papers now lay. "They reserved two seats in my horror."

"Honor." She corrected, rolling her eyes.

"If only." The older scoffed. "You don't know my family. Basically, if I don't show up with a date, shits only going to get worse! The judgment and interrogation's going to happen no matter what; but God forbid I show up without someone good looking clinging to my arm."

She couldn't imagine. Shaking her head, she walked over and sat on the couch's arm. "Why would you have to pay off Tsubaki again?"

"I would never ask her to do it for free."

"Or you know, you could ask me."

Soul sat straight up, staring at her in bewilderment. Then he started laughing. "Thanks but no thanks!"

"Hey! What's wrong with me going?"

"Are you kidding me? You've got no class!"

_"Excuse me?!_" This coming from Soul Eater - Soul Evans? He was calling her low class?! He didn't cook, didn't clean, and his jokes were always straight from the gutter! "I have no class?!"

"They'd spot you a mile away! No offense, but you're practically a housemaid!"

"Because you don't give me any other choice! I like a neat house, you're a disaster! How dare you!"

"Yeah, but I act this way because I_ want_ to. You... well, you don't know any better." She clenched her fist and he quickly moved to protect his head. "I'm serious! You don't walk straight; you slump, you're always wearing a skirt but you don't exactly always act like you are...if you catch my drift! You set the table wrong and all your clothes look like you got them from Ross, and you think Olive Garden is the classiest place on Earth!"

"It's the best I can afford!" She growled; practically lunging at the DJ, hands grabbing for his neck as he tried to fight her off. "I'm sorry if I don't compare to your prestigious family!"

"It's not a bad thing! It's exactly what I wanted; to get away from that classy shit!"

_"So I'm the slob?!"_

"No, you misunderstood-!" The older one was good in fighting for his life, flipping and pinning her down. "Maka, seriously! You don't want any part of this, it'll be Hell for you!"

"You don't think I could act like 'First Class'?!"

"I didn't say that!"

"It's what you're thinking, isn't it?!"

"..." He couldn't say anything, amber eyes trying to look anywhere but her. That was his mistake, the younger one swiftly taking advantage as she flipped them again, arm pressed against his neck.

"_Teach me_! I'll show you!"

"... Okay."

* * *

**Authors Notes: Fleur Lacelle is actually a name play on the words Fuir and Lache, in case you were curious.**

**Beta: Playmate 1964!**


	2. The First Lessons

_**How to Make a Lady**_

Chapter Two: _The First Lessons._

_Thank you Person for the kind review! It's nice to see that someone here likes it after all!_

* * *

"G-Good afternoon Maka." The blonde snapped up from her work when she heard the light voice, flashing a smile to her co-worker as she straightened up from the shelf.

"Good afternoon Chrona, how are you?" She noticed the slightly flushed expression on the taller woman's face. "How was your weekend?"

The younger woman; took the shifting and slight mumbles as a good sign, the small smile not breaking from the others face until she managed to make out a "Really well actually, how about you?"

"Don't even get me started." Maka grumbled under her breath, shoving books back onto the shelf. Chrona seemed to have a gaping expression, her mouth half opened to either ask if Maka was alright, or to say 'oh, alright', but either way she didn't get the chance to say anything. "Soul's been a complete jerk nearly all weekend! He ridiculed me for twenty minutes alone just because I didn't sit the way he wanted me to!"

"Oh..." While it should have been obvious, Chrona really didn't know what to say, so Maka kept going.

"Then he started going through my room! He put half my clothes in a box, that I'm not allowed to open until after the wedding!"

"...W-Wedding?"

"Then all my perfume was hidden away somewhere! I can't believe I agreed to go to this stupid thing, I didn't think he was going to start turning into a freaking warden or something!" That had basically been her weekend in a nutshell. After her small rant with Chrona, she'd spent nearly the whole day with a smile on her face; she was just happy to be out of the apartment for freedom! Once she got off work, she'd have time to herself again too since Soul was setting up for work. The weekend had been harsh enough, and it was a lot to take in so fast despite that Soul had another week to even confirm his going. She didn't even get to go hang out with Liz or-!

"Oh!" Chrona jumped when the girl turned on her heels from grabbing her things, the bag she had picked up in her eagerness to leave was nearly dropped. "Wait, you had a date over the weekend! How was it?"

"W-What?" Powder blue eyes widened, as if caught in headlights. "N-No, I-"

"Aw come on Chrona, really!" She was ready to bombard the other girl with questions, when she heard another clear her throat.

"Oh Maka!" Green eyes glanced over her shoulder to Liz, curiosity in her eyes. "Come on, we're waiting for you! You know, you shouldn't be late to an appointment; Patti and I have a schedule to keep to."

"Appointment...?" Chrona let out a small sigh of relief as the attention was shifted off of her. Careful not to be noticed, she started to leave staying quiet until the door shut behind her.

"Yeah... Soul set up an appointment for you?" The beautician smiled, grabbing the smaller girl's hand and starting to lead her out into the mall.

"He did what?! Wait, I didn't agree to this!"

"Well he already paid, so I'm doing my part - stop struggling!"

* * *

It was an annoying process. She felt like her face had been scrubbed with wool; her nails filed and polished clearly, and her two ponytails had been pulled back into a bun. Maka couldn't hate Liz for it though; even after the painful and 'fun' event of her eyebrows getting waxed she hadn't felt more clean...

She was waiting up to yell at the white haired pain, then it backfired. The moment the 'how dare you' had left her mouth, he'd easily countered her and pointed out that she was glowing. For the moment she'd been surprised at the compliment, he started listing off his reasons and rules.

"Just keep up with it, okay? They got you started. Keep washing your face, stop biting your nails, and please stop torturing your hair."

"'Torturing my hair'?!"

"You practically yank it up, I'm awake some mornings you know!" It was true, half the time when she was trying to get ready he was taking his time brushing his teeth, and hogging actual mirror space. "No one's going to be impressed with silly pigtails."

"Stop criticizing me!"

"Hey, you wanted to go; I told you it was going to be Hell. We're not even there yet Maka! Personally, I really don't give a damn; but I'm not taking you if you can't even do this-!"

"So you don't ruin your reputation with your family?!"

"Oh please." Soul was surprisingly relaxed about this, heading towards the hall. Maka could only assume that he even expected this. "My reputation is already circling the drain, I just don't want you to get embarrassed. Tell me; how do you feel when you snort with your laugh, in front of everyone? I bet you've been working on stopping that for years; but you still slip up and do it sometimes. You get red and try and hide. That is nothing, compared to messing up in front of these people!"

There was a slam as his door shut, and she realized there was a lot of suppressed anger there. The blonde woman could only wonder what happened, between Soul and his family to make him react like that.

* * *

"Why am I setting the table again?" She sighed, grabbing the plates from the cabinet. "We're eating pizza for Christs sake..."

"I just want to see something." Soul sighed lightly, playing with one of the dishrags as Maka laid the plate in front of him and went back for silverware. She'd only started to sit down when he grumbled.

"What?"

"... You set it wrong."

"Soul, I swear-!" She started to stand, arms crossed.

"Wait! Wait, it's okay. I didn't expect you to set it right." The older man stood up, rummaging through the cabinets and setting a lot more plates, silverware and cups than possibly necessary before arranging them in front of her.

"... What the Hell...?"

"Okay,_ please_ stop swearing. In about a month, if you pull any of that shit it's going to be bad." She quickly shut her mouth, staring down back at the odd assortment. "Now, pay attention. Napkin at the far left, then salad fork, dinner fork, and plate. Then dinner knife, teaspoon, soup spoon, and cocktail fork." He sat behind her, and pointed to the extra strange assortment that was above the plate. "Bread and butter plate and knife top left of your space, dessert and fork spoon right above your plate, then water glass, red wine glass, and white wine glass in descending slanted line. The white wine glass will be closest to you. Next to those is the coffee saucer."

"What if I want tea."

"It's the same mug and cup Maka." He snickered lightly, glad to see her loosen up a bit.

"_Why_ am I learning this; this is far too many things in one spot!"

"This is_ exactly_ how it will be set at the wedding, and you don't want to use the wrong thing." Soul quickly grabbed the extra things and set them back. "Now we can eat."

Even though he said that, somehow he managed to turn that into a lesson as well. Maka had never experienced being tied to a chair, and after that night she'd gotten her fair share. Soul had grabbed her favorite scarf and wrapped it around her chest to keep her back against the chair. She didn't see how reaching out for things while staying stiff as a board even looked close to graceful, and after a few minutes Soul finally released her and said they'd try another time.

This was getting to be... a real pain in the ass.

* * *

_Authors Note: No, being tied to a chair for proper eating isn't easy, especially when you're vertically challenge and not pushed in all the way and you **can't reach**_** anything!**

_And yes, learning to set the table 'properly' is really hard... It took a few awkward moments of resetting the table myself before I remembered it exactly.  
_

**_Beta: Playmate 1964_**


	3. Is This Any Way To Start A Lesson?

_**How to Make a Lady**_

Chapter Three: _Is This Any Way To Start A __Lesson?  
_

* * *

_Ohmaigawd, ten reviewers since last time?! Gah, and they're all so kind! Thank you! I hope you guys will like the rest!_

_Did I say Chrona wasn't pink/lavender haired somewhere? Uh-oh..._

_Oh, hello fan from another site! You're actually thinking ahead; sorry for any confusion!_

_Also, yes, Kept in the Shadows, Genetic Error, Phantom, and Catching a Demon are all being worked on as well. _

* * *

"You look dead." Maka mumbled bluntly, walking past Soul at the kitchen table as she started the coffee. Bottle green eyes glanced back to the white haired man, curiosity spiking her interest to see the paper he was hunched over was the calender. "... Lot of gigs lately?"

There was an unintelligent grunt from the older roommate as he leaned back against the seat. "Just making a teaching plan, wanna see?"

Maka leaned over his shoulder curiously, sighing as she saw all the red mark's across the next three weeks. "You sure we're actually going to have time for all of this? Aren't you working at all?"

"I know how to make things work out; give a guy some credit." The lax smile gave the blonde some reassurance; anything was better than a stressed Soul. "You said you finished that book you were reading, right?"

"Yes. I was going to get a new one today." The past two weeks_ 'One Day'_ had been keeping her sane in the mornings; it seemed to keep things calm before the torment started.

"Mind making a morning routine change?"

"Another one?" She practically slumped into the chair next to Soul.

"It's not huge." He promised. "Look; there's going to be a lot of people around, and they're all... 'flashy'. Unfortunately, that also means they talk a lot and know a lot."

"If you call me stupid next, I swear the coffee's not going to be poured in the cup." She hissed under her breath.

"Just pour us some coffee and come watch the news with me? Just to keep in touch with the big world outside our doorstep?" It was too early for any long bickering and fighting; a good thing for both of them. It wasn't a big change, Maka could still read so long as she tuned in and listened.

"Pour your own damn coffee..." She mumbled with a small smirk, getting up from the table to go to the living room.

* * *

"... You look really tired...A-Are you sure you don't want to go early?" Crona offered, staying close to Maka.

"I'm fine." She sounded as bad as she looked. "I'm thinking."

"You must have been thinking really hard..."

"Actually, I am. So if you could just let it go right now, I would be very appreciative." The blonde hissed through her teeth. She didn't like snapping at Chrona, but sometimes these things happened.

"S-Sorry..." The pink haired woman started towards the Help Desk, probably glad taking the job furthest away from the temperamental cashier as possible. She felt bad, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. Maka just sighed and tried to let it go.

"Yikes. If that's how you treat co-workers, how do you treat your customers?" Green eyes shot open and easily narrowed at the smirking face in front of her.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Ow." Amber eyes rolled as Soul leaned against the counter, as he slid the music book closer to her. "I tried texting you."

"I'm working."

"... Eh..." He shrugged, pulling his wallet out before giving her a look. "...Wanna do your job and ring that up?"

"I can't learn piano overnight." She muttered, scanning the code through.

"It's not for you." Soul smirked. "You doing okay?"

"I'm plotting your death as we speak." Maka smiled back.

"Ah, good. Can I make a suggestion?"

"No." She glanced at the slowly building line behind him.

"Be charming? Greet people with a smile, no matter how pissed you are."

"If this is another lesson, I'm going to jump over the counter and strangle you. I'm at work."

"It was just an idea." He smiled at her, shark teeth flashing. "And remember to enunciate."

"You know I really don't have to do this. I don't have to go with you."

"I know." Soul shrugged. "I have other friends, I'm not relying on you."

For some reason that actually stung her. She was trying, but her roommate was asking too much of her. Maybe she shouldn't have offered at all, but now that she had...now she didn't really want to back out. Besides, she'd get to see where the man before her came from. He was just one big mystery before all of this, and she didn't intend to let him get away with being that again! "... What are we working on tonight?"

"It's a surprise." He seemed a little lesson stressed, now that he knew that she was going to continue this either way. "Just remember that this was your idea, not mine. Tsubaki already knows all of this."

"Maybe I could get her help..."

"... Not a bad idea." There was a noticeable flash in Soul's eyes, as gears started turning, a new idea being formed in that insane head of his. "... See you after work."

* * *

When the blonde woman got home; the house was dark and empty; her roommate and tutor was nowhere to be found, and she didn't know if she was relieved or annoyed. She had already been halfway home when she remembered she still needed to pester Chrona about her increasingly better outlook and good mood, and she'd only been a block away from the building when Liz and Patti had pulled over to offer her a night out and away from the insanity. Both had been neglected in hopes of getting to the bottom of what tonight was going to be about.

Plucking her new book from the safety of her bag, Maka flipped the TV on for background noise as she settled into the couch. Bits and pieces filtered in between chapters; a fire, another abducted child that was now a full grown adult found. Really, she hated the news that Soul made her listen to... It was rarely positive and the depressing thoughts always wormed their way into words on her pages and sidetracked her. Wearily, green eyes flickered to the screen, frowning to find another murder in the city next door. That and she had been home for almost two hours. When did that happened?

Her stomach gave a craving gurgle as she stood to find her phone, planning to relieve her own hunger after forming a text to the missing white haired. A part of her started getting paranoid about missing people and dead bodies; the television promptly turned to a new channel as she moved to the kitchen. There wasn't much, Maka guessed she'd been too busy with these extra lessons to have made a shopping list. Distracting herself with that thought alone, she pulled the notepad off the kitchen counter and started going through the fridge and cabinets for items that needed to be replenished.

Another hour and a new list was made, as a blue box of Crafts lay discarded with its contents in a pot. Green eyes kept glancing at the phone screen in her hands.

_'Im coming into pick up a book. Unless you wanna just pick it up? -Soul'_

_'Hey you working the counter? Wanna just let me take it? -Soul'_

_'I'll do it~ You'd never even notice~ -Soul'_

_ 'Where are you? I thought you said you were going to be home? -Maka'_

_'I'm making dinner... Do you want some? -Maka'_

_'Soul? -Maka'_

Their communication skills needed some work, that was for sure. "...I'm sure he's fine..."

Her reassurance easily showed superficial when the phone buzzed in her fingers, her eagerness making it painfully obvious she was actually worried.

_'OMG WOMAN HURRY UP! -Black*Star'_

Well, that was unexpected...

_'Hurry up? What's that supposed to mean? -Maka'_

_'I've been waiting down here for EVER. Are you coming or not? -Black*Star'_

_'I don't understand... Is Soul with you? -Maka'_

_'Damn it woman! He told me to pick you up so we can get to the show; are you going or am I gonna havetah go up there and carry you!? -Black*Star'_

Okay, their communication skills were horrifying. What, did Soul forget to tell her they were going somewhere? Or did he just plan to piss everyone off by only giving these plans to one person? Growling, the blonde chucked the phone onto the couch, ignoring the ringtone as Black*Star tried calling her. Oh no, she was not going alone with these stupid antics! Soul would just have to try again and plan this better! Well, since the white haired would be missing, she started putting what would be 'leftovers' of the macaroni and cheese into a small container, grabbing a bowl for herself to ease her slowly un-knotting stomach.

"Maka!" She jumped at the loud banging.

"Go away..." She mumbled to herself, sitting at the table.

"C'mon, we're gonna be late as it is!" Black*Star tried to grab her attention again.

"Ignoring you..."

"WOMAN, I WILL BREAK THIS DOOR_ DOWN!_" Maka was quickly on her feet, knowing to damn well that Black*Star easily would too. The door was unlocked, the chain unhooked as she knew if the older threw the door open, expecting it open, then the metal links would do nothing to save her lock. With a quick step back, the door flew, relieving the crazy haired man from two floors down, his girlfriend waiting at the end of the hall. "Finally! Now lets go!"

"Go where?!"

"I told you he wouldn't have said anything to her..." Tsubaki sighed lightly from her spot down the hall, shaking her head. "He planned this..."

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**TBC!** No, but I am sorry for the delay. I got distracted with the updates... But there is good news if you found the spoiler page that was found!

Everythings going to be okay~

For Maka anyway... Hehe...

Anyway! Please review, you guys have been kind about that. Thank you very much for it all.

Reminder to be kind as there is no Beta and I am solo on this.

I think summer is coming up for a lot of you guys, or it's already started so enjoy! I'll be able to update more and get the other stories out!

Oh, and I will be having some polls so I can decide which Soul Eater stories are worth doing / keeping so look out for those...

**Beta: Playmate1964**


	4. Pop Quiz

_**How to Make a Lady**_

Chapter Four: _Pop Quiz!_

* * *

_Thank you everyone for your support! I'm sorry about the previous cliff hanger, but I was working between edited two different things and talking to a beta that might be helping these stories out soon! _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Maka had gone along with her friends, a part of her worried about what this was all about, but as they got deeper into the downtown party scene where Soul usually found work, she found herself anxious and excited. Black Star was just as speed crazy as Soul was behind the wheel, so Maka took comfort in Tsubaki's calm as the taller girl reassured her that this was going to be fun.

She wasn't really sure about this; she rarely went to this side of the city unless she was going to the only bookstore that did trades. Granted, it wasn't that different from the area they lived - a few tags here and there, the buildings weren't falling apart or anything though most were much closer together...

When the car made its rest in a packed parking lot, green eyes looked around for just where they were heading. It wasn't a hard guess; the ground shook with the loud bass that escaped past the walls, the windows were blacked out, and there was a line that looked like it was ready to bend around the corner. Tsubaki sighed as she stepped out of the car behind her. "I knew we should have come earlier..."

"Oh come on Tsubaki, you forget who you're with!" Black Star snickered, starting towards the door. "I'm a big star around these parts, I'll get us in there no problem!"

Maka bit her tongue, knowing whatever she could say wouldn't make any dent in the older's ego. Crossing her arms, she followed with Tsubaki closely, eying the line wearily. However, when the girls caught up Black Star must have worked some miracle as the ropes opened for the three and Black Star held the door open. The blonde had thought the music had been loud before, she winced at the new extreme that leaked from the open doorway. "Ladies first!"

Tsubaki seemed at ease as she easily walked in, the flashing lights playing colorfully across the pale skin and dark hair. Black Star flashed Maka a challenging look as she held back. Huffing and mumbling death threats about Soul and his dumb ideas, she followed suit; she couldn't even hear the door and Black Star behind her.

The bass boomed through the speakers at an alarming beat and spread to the massive amounts of bodies on the floor, words were lost in translation as different and strange noises flowed and bounced off walls. Maka had never been huge in the 'techno-dubstep' music; she'd listen to bits and pieces when Soul was working hard at his computer and it escaped past the heavy headset or through speakers, but in an environment like this she could feel her heartbeat pick up as if to match the pace set by the music. Green eyes turned back wildly to face a grinning Black Star. He gave her a thumbs up and pointed to the small stage on the far side of the room. With the lights changing and creating odd colors she had to squint, but she realized who she was looking at almost as soon as she caught sight of the hair.

Wild white locks changed colors easily under the wild flashing's influence; heavy goggles lenses did their best to hide that his eyes were closed and he was completely caught up in the music he was creating; but the sharp pointed smirk showed that he was enjoying the power he held over the people in front of him. It was insane how at ease he was in his element. There was a slight beat where he froze and Maka realized he was looking at her. The tempo slowed, the boom got heavier the blonde recognized his newest work being put out on display in its full glory. All sound slowed until it seemed like just dead air - then the bass hit and music started in a jump start and picked up too quickly for the best dancers to really keep up.

Maka jumped when she felt someone grab her, calming when she realized it was only Tsubaki. The taller woman led her away from the entrance and the speakers, letting her friend go as they got to the bar where voices could be heard if you shouted. Maka had lost sight of Black Star, but her friend didn't seem worried about it. She had to remind herself that this was as much Black Star's element as it was Soul's - two crazy electric musicians.

"So how are the 'lady lessons' going?" Tsubaki smiled, leaning close to the younger so she could be heard. Maka frowned, nearly jumping out of her skin when she realized that the music could go louder and made the decision to prove it before calming a bit.

"Could be worse." She decided, sighing and leaning into her seat to take a glance at the erratic DJ. "He's trying to go easy, but he stresses... You know all of the stuff he's talking about?"

The dark haired nodded. "Our family's are good friends - well, business partners."

"So why are you out here?" She had been curious about this since Soul had first brought it up. Tsubaki had always been rather quiet, reserved a bit - yet she somehow managed to make an easy lifestyle with Black Star.

"Same reason as Soul I guess." She shrugged. "I heard he went missing when he we were still teenagers... I moved to get away from my family a few years ago. It's all just a lot to handle in that kind of life. My family knows where I am, and they offer to help a lot, but I'm on really good terms with my parents." She stopped, blue eyes looking over Maka's shoulder. "Him... not so much."

_'Avoid politics, religion, and money.'_ Soul's voice echoed in her head, the blonde clearing her throat in preparations against losing her voice soon. "Is Black Star playing tonight?"

Tsubaki looked surprised at the change of subject, but a small smile showed that she knew what Maka was doing - like she expected. "No, not tonight. He wants to stay until the last set; there's another artist he's been trying to get some work with. I could probably take you back before then though."

Maka didn't know how long until the 'last set' was, but she knew it was going to be late. She didn't want to be out too late; her morning routine and the things she had to get done tomorrow required energy... She wasn't like Soul who could sleep in late and not be bothered by it. "I think I'll try and find Soul after he's done."

Almost as if on cue the music reached a new pitch, a woman voice calling out over the crowd as she mixed into the music and blended up chopped up frequencies. Maka knew she recognized this one too, but it didn't stop her from being surprised at the loudness. A part of her really wanted to go in to the mass of bodies, but another part of her knew she couldn't dance and she didn't want to get lost and separated.

"Do you want to dance, Maka?" She looked back, surprised to find she'd been staring at the crowd. Tsubaki held her hand out, standing in front of the blond.

* * *

Maka had no idea how long they were there, but it had to have only been a few minutes before Maka shied away from the dance floor. Tsubaki knew how to move her body with the rest of them; whereas Maka was sure she had absolutely no sex appeal and didn't know how to move at all. She probably looked ridiculous out there. Songs usually had a three to five minute timeline but these blended into each other so smoothly she was clueless of time the moment her phone died on her.

She sighed, resting her head in her palms. She was tired and even the loud droning music wasn't going to help keep her awake soon.

"Hey!" Green eyes opened wide, meeting the pointed grin. "You falling asleep in a place like this? I thought you were supposed to be smart?"

Maka glared at the white haired, though it didn't hold much of it's malice. Soul just laughed, offering his hand to her. When she took it, Maka was led out of the building and around to the back where the orange motorcycle waited for them.

_'Don't stay out too late, don't go crazy, and always be polite.'_ She sighed as he plopped the helmet over her head, realizing that the entire night had been some sort of twisted test.

"I guess I didn't do so well, huh?" Her voice was tired from yelling all night to be heard, and her ears felt like they needed to be popped.

"You were fine until I saw you." Soul snickered, patting the back of the seat as he sat. "You know Tsubaki would've taken you home."

"What time is it anyway?"

"Nearly two." Soul started the motor; she could hear him laugh through the helmet as she leaned against his back. "Did you have fun at least?"

"... Wasn't bad..." She admitted as they took off. "It was unexpected."

"Yeah well... you needed some kinda down time. Everyone needs a hobby, right?"

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

Sorry for the delay again. As I said up top, we may have a new beta on the team, but I don't want to announce it right away. I'm still going to be updating and such in the meantime though, since I don't think I do a _horrible_ job on my own.

I'm going to try and update Genetic Error before the weekend.

Over the weekend, however, I have a gift fic that I am going to be starting on. So feel free to check it out when it goes out there.

Have a nice day everyone!


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